Hatton - I trained too hard
Hatton blames Pacquiao KO on training regime
Ricky Hatton has said the training regime overseen by Floyd Mayweather Sr for his fight against Manny Pacquiao left him feeling like a "man going to the gallows" on the night of his defeat.
The 'Hitman', who announced on Wednesday that he is returning to the ring for a comeback fight this summer, claimed that Mayweather Sr over-trained him with the result that he peaked too soon.
In the event, Pacquiao knocked him out inside two rounds in Las Vegas last May - Hatton left sprawled semi-conscious on the canvas after his comprehensive loss.
The Mancunian immediately faced calls to hang up his gloves but has elected to continue - a decision Hatton says was in part taken with a desire to prove to critics he was not at his best against the Filipino.
"You always get the odd critic that will say 'he shouldn't fight again, he's past it'," he said.
"These are people who probably sit in their armchair and only watched the fight, the two rounds on television, and they came to the conclusion that I'm past it.
"It was only in my previous fight a few months earlier that I put in one of my best performances against Malignaggi. All of a sudden they think I'm past it in the next five months.
"That wasn't the case - it was a case of just being a little bit over-trained and I was walking to the ring that night like a man going to the gallows.
"I knew it was too soon, and I was just hoping just to get one lucky punch in. That's not the way you should go into fights.
"You can't argue with the result, but what happened in the training camp which led to the result could have been a lot better.
"I was down on weight very early, I was sparring a lot earlier than normal and consequently I peaked too soon.
"Where I should have taken my foot off the gas and had a bit of a rest, my trainer put my foot on the gas and in the end it burned me.
"I don't think Manny Pacquiao beat me at my best that night and that's what is making me come back."
Decisions soon
Hatton is now scouting for a new trainer, with fellow Mancunian Joe Gallagher having been linked with the role.
The 31-year-old said he will decide soon who he will be working with - as well as who he will be fighting.
"There have been a few trainers mentioned and I have not quite made my mind up yet," Hatton said.
"I'll keep my options open, but all the trainers I've got in mind are exceptional trainers.
"I go on holiday next week and while I'm there I'll do a lot of thinking and my team in the mean time can get cracking on an opponent. I'll make a decision on a trainer the minute I get back, and then go straight into training."
The prospect of an all-British fight with Amir Khan appears unlikely as long as the WBA light-welterweight champion is promoted by Frank Warren.
Similarly, the possibility of a rematch against either Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr, who inflicted the only other defeat upon him in his professional career, are remote.
However, Hatton has identified Juan Urango - who he beat in 2007 - and Juan Manuel Marquez as potential opponents for a contest that looks set to be staged in the UK.
"I want to finish at the top and I want to fight a world champion, that's why I have mentioned Juan Urango and Juan Manuel Marquez," Hatton said.
"But I don't think I will be fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao - they are the pound-for-pound number ones and I don't think I deserve to fight them until I redeem myself.
"Marquez is a possibility with the link with (promoters) Golden Boy, but we are going to look at several opponents and every single champion at light-welterweight is a possibility."
Poor JMM everybody's using him as a return gate (stepping stone) by retirees.
Errrr.....No, I think that's rich Marquez you mean? Fights with Pac, Barrera, Mayweather and now maybe Hatton do not mean 'poor' Marquez, but rather rich Marquez!
Very rich Marquez.
i do believe hatton. do i think he'd be able to beat pacquiao in a rematch? no. but do i think he could put up a better performance? yes. hatton is capable of slugging it out with pacquiao for a few rounds and give us an entertaining fight.
marquez-hatton sounds awesome. two of my favorite fighters but i'll have to go with my most fav out of the two, DINAMITAAAAAAAA!!! should be quite a fight, hopefully it gets done!
im suprised with you man. your posts are more mature and you show more class.
The way he went down in those fights, especially the condition he was in immediately after Manny knocked him out, raises questions about the full recovery of his abilities.
He'll have to be very impressive in his next outings to ease some concerns.
The moment Pac lands the left hand Hatton was unconscious, this is really serious and something that should be contemplating on, IMO.
If you were to blame a trainer for this, I'd blame Roach. Freddie had him scouted down to a tee, and Pac was ready. Simple as that.
Freddie is nothing. Pac made him. Once Pac retires Freddie will go back to nothing.
ROFL when he uses Paulie as his measuring stick for one of his best performance. You saying, Paulie who hits like a bird comparing that to Pac who hits as an elite? gtfo out Hatton, your done. Retire already.
Hatton-Marquez for me is the best possible match-up. The question is will Marquez bite again at JWW? An alternative would be a decent tune-up match for the meantime, it won't hurt his chances, but at least he would regain his confidence since beating Paulie Mags.
The way he went down in those fights, especially the condition he was in immediately after Manny knocked him out, raises questions about the full recovery of his abilities.
He'll have to be very impressive in his next outings to ease some concerns.
seeing hatton lay down twice, hes just not the same. im not interested in watching Hatton get hurt. ive never been his biggest fan, but just like taylor, i dont want guys getting hurt.
It's Hatton's fault. His handlers made it clear they considered Floyd a consultant before the fight, not the head trainer. They messed everything up downgrading his standing in camp. They also sabotaged everything Floyd Sr. was trying to do by doing second training sessions behind his back. How are you going to have two chefs in there for a big fight like that?
Mayweather, even though he's a favorite to bash on here, only tried to teach Ricky common sense. He didn't try to drastically change Hatton. He made his intentions with him known to everybody the moment he was chosen to train Ricky. Don't just bull rush in there with no defense (ahem check hook remember), use a jab and head movement to get inside.
Everyone who saw the reports and interviews of Floyd Sr. before the fight would know that Sr. had a bad feeling about Ricky's chances.
After the first knock down, you can tell Ricky wasn't in his right mind when Floyd chastised him for not following the set plan. He went back out there
with his own plan of attack to bum rush Manny.
In the end, Ricky could at least blame himself for also not adhering to the golden rule: Protect Yourself At All Times.
blame them all because hatton didn't follow the fight plan... blame them all because they didn't gave hatton the proper attitude to follow a fight plan.
blame those kool-aid and fries!
Hattons a fukin fool...
It's a hard thing just accepting defeat and having no reasons for why you lost !!
Hatton's just thinking of any little thing that wasn't quite right ? But when are things perfect in life.....
If he'd have won the fight, the training camp would have been excellent like he says after all his victorys !!
he was winning the second round by a country mile. most delusional statement i've ever heard in boxing history.
He always says that, hes an idiot....
Mayweather Sr. is better then any other trainer out there......